We have reach the midpoint of my favorite albums of the year. Here are numbers 30 through 21:
30. Skinny Puppy - Weapon
Three decades into their storied career, electro-industrial gods Skinny Puppy return with their latest record Weapon and strikingly jettison their past experiments with dense layers of samples and return to the basics of their earliest releases Bites and Remission to fashion a more streamlined and sleek Puppy. Weapon still has Skinny Puppy in a pissed off mood though, crafting a loose concept record about violence and weaponry in modern society and how this focus ultimately turns our future path to one of self-destruction and irrelevance. While Weapon may lack the intense, sonic collages that informed their best work, it is still a quietly forceful record that seeks its own level. Furthermore, it is also one of Skinny Puppy's most overtly dance-oriented record, foregoing more experimental drum programming for direct beats. Not to say that this record lacks an adventurous nature, it is still Skinny Puppy after all, with several songs pushing at the boundaries of their sound. But instead of the sonic exploration taking over the direction, it is used in connection with the flow of the record.
29. Queens of the Stone Age - ...Like Clockwork
Josh Homme brings his revolving cast of support players back to life for Queens of the Stone Age's sixth album ...Like Clockwork. In the past, Homme has sometimes bitten off more than he could chew, littering his work with so many guest stars that you felt like he was crashing Timbaland's studio. A lot of his collaborations make sense, for example adding drum god Dave Grohl in the mix on Songs for the Deaf, to me, QOTSA's best and most consistent record. However, some just plain don't work and feel like Homme leaning on the shoulders of his famous friends, i.e., Julian Casablanca's vocals on "Sick Sick Sick," off Era Vulgaris, or Jack Black's "handclaps" on "Burn The Witch" from Lullabies To Paralyze. But more often than not, he gets it right, and thankfully on ...Like Clockwork there is a seamless quality to the flow of the record, and while there are some very heavy hitters here (Trent Reznor and Sir Elton John), no one sticks out like a sore thumb, and they are nicely integrated into the QOTSA fold. In the past, my main issue with QOTSA albums was the fact that there would be two or three amazing, killer singles and the rest, while not horrible, felt an awful lot like filler. Going into first listens of ...Like Clockwork this weighed heavy in the back of my mind, however, I was pleasantly surprised how cohesive and solid this record was.
28. Blood Orange - Cupid Deluxe
With his sophomore record Cupid Deluxe, Hynes has really come into his own, crafting a gorgeous record that sounds light on its feet but serious at the same time, and meshes all of his musical interests into one satisfying whole. In an interview with NME, Hynes said that Cupid Deluxe was inspired by "New York City, the Big Apple. I lived in Brooklyn for some time and finally made the leap into Manhattan. So a lot of the record is about that, transitions, life transitions. Moving from a stable position to an unstable position. Something we have all been through." The album is full of songs that ache and strain, whether they are about relationships or career, and you feel Hynes stretching his musical voice to fit his aspirations. Where Coastal Grooves was essentially Hynes and his studio, Cupid Deluxe opens things up with a variety of collaborators that never outshine him or simply fade into the background. Working with Chairlift's Caroline Polachek, Kindness' Adam Bainbridge, Friends' Samantha Urbani, cloud rap producer Clams Casino, as well as rap cameos from Queens' Despot and London's Skepta, Hynes utilizes each perfectly to create his lush vision.
27. Burial - Truant/Rough Sleeper
Ever since his landmark album Untrue, William Bevan, a.k.a. Burial, has blazed his own trail, refusing to do anything by the numbers. Instead of following up with another full length album, Bevan has been slowly releasing EPs and singles, and collaborating with artists like Four Tet and Thom Yorke, taking his signature sound and subtly tweaking it. There are never any huge leaps into differing genres, his music is always distinctly Burial-sounding, but there is a greater focus on expanding and fleshing out his sound. On last year's Kindred EP, he basically created a suite of music from three tracks, two of which were well over 10 minutes in length, and moved effortlessly through many emotional highs and lows. Returning only 10 months later with the Truant/Rough Sleeper single, Bevan again plays with length, each of the tracks going over the 10 minute mark. These tracks, however, are fiercely experimental never staying long in one mood, not afraid to be ugly or harsh or off-putting. Truant/Rough Sleeper has almost too much going on throughout its 25 minutes, but somehow Bevan keeps everything in place. It's admirable that he chose not to remake Untrue over and over again, putting out music when he wants and as he wants. At this point, I am not concerned that he has yet to put a full length out. His ability to convey so much with his longer form singles just adds more depth to his catalog, and if he continues in this vein, it will be enough for me.
26. Tegan and Sara - Heartthrob
I will admit that I have never really listened much to Tegan and Sara's other albums. I think I had breezed through a couple of their last records and just never felt any connection to them or desire to listen to them again. It was mostly acoustic/indie folk rock that had some interesting lyrics, but was practically indistinguishable from most similar acts. With the release of their seventh studio album Heartthrob, I was not prepared in the least for their 180 degree change in direction. Enlisting producers Greg Kurstin (Santigold, Pink), Justin Meldal-Johnsen (Paramore, M83), and Mike Elizondo (Dr. Dre, Eminem) the duo have crafted one of the most aggressively pop records of the year, polishing their sound within an inch of its life, eschewing their more traditional guitar based songs for glitzy synth based confections. The 80s are definitely the touchstone with Heartthrob, with a lot of the tracks borrowing from artists like Cyndi Lauper, Prince, & Heart at their most hook laden and catchy. I have a feeling this complete change in sound and direction will irk a lot of their fanbase, and I am sure more than a few people will claim they have sold out. I suppose those claims will be somewhat valid, but seeing as I was not a huge fan to begin with, this change in direction, for me, is a positive thing. Hearthrob is a glossy, well-produced record that is extremely catchy. It is exactly what it is needs to be, a pure pop experience.
25. AlunaGeorge - Body Music
UK duo AlunaGeorge, made up of Aluna Francis (vocals) and George Reid (production), has teased us over the past year with several amazing singles that threw them into the spotlight along with other upstarts like Disclosure who mined the 90s for inspiration. AlunaGeorge's debut record Body Music is definitely the more poppy of the two bands' records, unabashedly calling to mind Aaliyah's work with Timbaland, TLC, Brandy, Sade, and Neneh Cherry with nods to more contemporary artists and styles like The Knife, The xx, and James Blake along with 2-step, glitch hop, and UK bass music. Despite all these varied influences, AlunaGeorge has created a cohesive record with each track standing out individually, but also working with the others to mesh well as a whole. Aluna's vice is simultaneously breathy and controlled, youthful and mature, one that doesn't bash you over the head with its strength but more drawing you in subtly before enveloping you. Likewise, Reid's production is never too showy, always providing the right backing for Aluna's lovely voice, but always being distinctive and not just fading into the background.
24. Charli XCX - True Romance
I am always being accused of being a music snob that only likes "out there" stuff that no one listens to, but seriously that is quite the opposite in fact. I like a wide variety of music that spans many different genres and styles. I love pop music, just not music that is bland and boring without any heart and soul. If a song has a good hook, I am bound to like it. Enter into the picture Charli XCX, the name of 20 year old UK pop singer Charlotte Aitchison, who since 2008 has been teasing the airwaves with dark hearted pop tracks that have come across like the love child of Ke$ha and Grimes, filtering a pop sensibility through more experimental sounds and textures, but always throwing down a killer hook. After an interminable wait, Charli XCX finally releases her debut album, True Romance, and shows the wait was definitely worth it. Over 13 tracks, Charli XCX barely makes a misstep, constantly shifting and morphing her sound, mixing in elements from pop, EDM, reggae, hip-hop, dubstep, you name it, showing a restless sense of artistic adventure.
23. Autechre - Exai
The prolific duo of Rob Brown and Sean Booth are now on their 11th album as Autechre, and instead of resting on their laurels and putting out album after album of similar music, they are still fascinated by what machines can do and push their sound into as many directions as possible. Some critics have complained that Exai is a bloated, directionless mess, and in some respect I can understand that critique, but what those short-sighted people fail to see and hear is that the record is a culmination of what Brown and Booth have done over their storied career, touching on almost every phase of their catalog and yet meshing it all into something fresh and wonderful. Granted, at 2 hours of music, Exai is not for the faint of heart, as it is a very challenging listen; however, it is challenging only in the sense of trying to keep up with the duo's restless, ceaseless creativity, and not in the sense of their more obtuse records like Confield and Untilted. The tracks on the album are perfectly sequenced between traditional IDM fare that Autechre could do in their sleep, abstract/formless works from their Confield era, hip-hop/industrial textured works, and dreamier ambient inflected songs. That Autechre masters all aspects of these genres is testament to their longstanding place as IDM gods. One thing I love about the duo is that their work together is seamless. At no point in any of their work can you discern which piece, part, or whole is made by one or the other. They are simply Autechre.
22. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Push The Sky Away
One would think that after 15 albums with the Bad Seeds, Nick Cave's well of inspiration and creativity would nearly be tapped out. The first listen to Push The Sky Away immediately sets those fears aside. Cave is still a master at spinning a yarn, infusing his songs and lyrics with vivid, unforgettable images. Where he once came across as a tent revival preacher, raining down fire and brimstone onto his listeners, lately his approach has softened, making his audience lean in on the edge of their seats to hear his message. The striking thing about Push The Sky Away is how subtle it is; the music rarely rising above a whisper, as if the hard edges have been worn down after years of abuse from the elements, but yet still how forceful and intoxicating it all is. Push The Sky Away is jam packed with ruminations on the passing of time, nature, science, and where we all fit within the grand scheme of things. Cave doesn't feel the need to rush anything here, allowing the songs to wander where they may, his 55 years earning him the right as one of rock's elder statesmen to do what he sees fit.
21. Iceage - You're Nothing
New Brigade, the debut album from Danish post-punk band Iceage, was a chilly 24 minute blast of scraping guitars, machine gun drums, sloganeering vocals, and a fully formed aesthetic that was much wiser than the band's young age would have indicated. It was such a perfect encapsulation of their sound it was difficult to imagine what they could possibly do for a follow up, rather than more of the same or completely altering their sound. With the follow up You're Nothing in hand, Iceage have not reinvented the wheel thankfully, and have not given us New Brigade 2, though it is really a more fine-tuned version, with interesting steps in new directions. It is still a concise set of tracks, barely making it over the 25 minute mark, but instead of using the bleak, industrial edged tones of New Brigade, the music tends to fall towards more traditional punk squalls, with more subtle post-punk accents to spice things up.
